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Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted bail to former Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige on liberal conditions pending the start of his trial.
In her ruling on Thursday, the judge adopted the administrative bail earlier granted to Ngige by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on self-recognition as part of the court’s bail terms.
Justice Hassan also ordered Ngige to produce a surety who must be a serving director in the Nigerian government.
The surety is required to own landed property within the FCT, present a valid Certificate of Occupancy and deposit the original document with the court. The surety must also submit an international passport to the court registrar.
Pending the fulfilment of these conditions, the former minister is to remain on remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The judge held that the offences charged were bailable and emphasised that the Constitution presumes the defendant innocent until proven otherwise.
She cautioned courts against imposing excessive or overly stringent bail conditions, noting that such measures could amount to a denial of bail.
Ngige, a former Anambra State governor, was arraigned by the EFCC on December 12, 2025, on an eight-count charge bordering on corrupt practices, to which he pleaded not guilty.
His counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, argued the bail application on December 15, but EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, opposed it, alleging that Ngige previously jumped bail and failed to return his travel documents or report to the agency until his re-arrest.
Justice Hassan has fixed January 28 and 29 for the commencement of the trial.
The charges allege that Ngige committed the offences while serving as Minister of Labour under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was accused of using his position as supervising minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund to award multiple consultancy, training and supply contracts to companies linked to associates, amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
The former minister was also accused of corruptly receiving gifts totalling several millions of naira through organisations linked to him, allegedly from contractors with the NSITF.
The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
